Frost proof sanitary water hydrant



NOV. 8, 1966 5 v, FLANAGAN ET AL 3,283,776

FROST PROOF SANITARY WATER HYDRANT Filed Feb. 17, 1964 FIG- FROST LINE/ FIG] United States Patent 3,283,776 FROST PROOF SANITARY WATER HYDRANT Samuel V. Flanagan, 745 Norway Ave., and Ira D. Brown, 1040 20th St., both of Huntington, W. Va. Filed Feb. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 345,183 Claims. (Cl. 137-301) The invention relates to frost proof water hydrants, and has particular reference to an improved frost proof water hydrant of the type useful in providing a supply of sanitary water in which any water standing in the hydrant standard or hydrant above a given point or frost line is ejected by the downward movement of a weighted piston reacting to gravity to empty the hydrant of water through a drain line. A further feature of the invention is that the drain line is equalized of any standing water therein with the hydrant by a drain-back line, so that all the standing water in the drain line in the hydrant remains below a frost line.

It is known that water hydrants, particularly those that 'are installed in the out of-doors are vulnerable to freezing and resulting contamination because of ground water entering the hydrant through a protection or weephole used in draining the hydrant of such standing water.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome freezing of water in a hydrant lay providing a weighted piston for ejecting water that remains in the hydrant after it is closed, so that the water is bled off through a drain line from the bottom of the hydrant by a weighted piston for disposing of the residual water in the hydrant.

A paramount object of the invention is to provide a low cost, frost proof, sanitary water hydrant having relatively few moving parts and containing a weighted piston in the hydrantwhich is forced upwardly and held in an uppermost position of the hydrant by the water pressure while the hydrant is in service and delivering water, and which will eject the standing water from the hydrant when the supply pressure is cut off. The movement of the weighted piston in its downward path provides sufiicient pressure to eject the water through the bottom of the hydrant through a drain line that extends, from a point connected to the low end of the hydrant, upwardly to the earths surface. An airgap is provided in the hydrant for allowing the piston to fall without creating any vacuum pressure.

One of the more important applications of the new sanitary water hydrant is its simplicity which makes it possible for easy maintenance, since the cap on top of the hydrant may be removed and the piston raised to the top of the hydrant by opening the three-way valve in the supply line. The inflow of water thus raises the piston to the top of the hydrant, and in this position the O-ri-ngs or gaskets may be replaced and renewed in a system of preventive maintenance.

These and further objects and advantages will become subsequently apparent from the complete understanding of the invention as may be had from the following description in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing the hydrant having a weighted piston and outlet, surrounding portions of the ground being shown in vertical section;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the weighted piston on a generally enlarged scale; and

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the center of the weighted piston on the scale of the piston shown in FIGURE 2 taken along the lines indicated by the section line 33 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a hydrant main body, generally designated as hydrant 10, in which the lower portion thereof extend-s downwardly into the ground, while the upper portion thereof extends upwardly from the earths surface. At a substantial distance 'below the earths surface, there is what is known as the frost line 26, and the distance of the frost line beneath the earths surface depends upon the various local conditions.

The hydrant may be constructed of cylindrical tubing which has a reducing T 12 connected at the lower extremity thereof, and a cap 14 is threaded on the upper end or extremity of the hydrant. The reducing T 12 is provided with an inlet plug 16, and at an intermediate point on the hydrant 10 above the earths surface there is provided an approporiately located outlet plug 18. A three-way valve 20 is installed under the frost line for connection to the reducing T 12, which .in turn is connected to a water supply line 22 also positioned well below the frost line 26, so that water flow is provided through and from the water supply line 22 through the three-way valve 20 when it is in its open-through position. In this fashion, water is provided into the lower end of the hydrant.

A valve handle 30 is provided with the hydrant 10 and connected to a valve rod stem 32 for opening and closing the three-way valve 20, so that water from the supply line 22 is supplied to or shut otf from being connected to the hydrant 10. Actuation of the valve handle 30 also provides for opening and shutting one of the posi tions alternate to the shutting and opening of water to the reducing T 12, so that the drain line 34 connects with the reducing T 12. When the position of the threeway valve is opened for passing water from the supply line 22 to the reducing T 12 of the hydrant 10, water in the reducing T is at a suflicient pressure for forcing a weighted piston 40 upwardly along the inner cylindrical walls of the hydrant 10 when a check valve 42 connected to the outlet plug 20 is open, until the weighted piston reaches a point above the outlet plug '18. The weighted piston is provided with at least two O-rings 56, 56 for providing and effecting a sealing relationship between the weighted piston and the inner cylindrical walls of the hydrant 10, so that the weighted piston is assured of being driven upwardly in response to the application of water pressure through the three-way valve 20. The 0- rings 56, 56 may be constructed of any elastomeric material.

Air that may be present in the hydrant while the check valve 42 is closed is released through a substantially small opening or vent 48 and thus controls the speed of rise of the weighted piston so as not to result in any impact or shock of the piston upon the cap 14 when it reaches the upper end of its travel. As the weighted piston 40 passes the outlet plug 18, water is forced through the check valve 42 :and a connection 52 to any desired hose means that may be connected to the connection 52.

It is seen that the applied water pressure when of substantial value holds the weighted piston 40 at its top or uppermost position.

The operation of the three-way valve 20 includes closing off the supply line 22 and providing for opening the drain line 34 which communicates with the reducing T 12. Due to the absence of water pressure upon the weighted piston 40 by closing off the supply line, the motion of the piston is reversed due to the force of gravity pulling the weighted piston 40 downwardly along the inner cylindrical portion of the hydrant 10. Due to the sealing effect provided by the O-rings of the weighted piston with the inner wall of the hydrant, the water in the hydrant is subjeeted to pressure by the weight of the weighted piston which is forced out through the three-way valve into the drain line 34 so that the water is discharged from the upper and open end of the drain line 34 at the earths surface. The check valve 42 is operated to close and protect the hydrant against backflow of water from the hose means connection 52 reentering the hydrant 10. The hydrant is protected also by an air space in the drain line 34, and any water or other material reentering the vent 48 by the action of back siphonage at the same time that air is drawn through the vent 48 by the action of a shunt Fbackflow drain line 58. When the upper or top O-ring 56 passes the top opening of the shunt backflow drain line 58, any water remaining in the drain line 34 will then flow back through the backfiow drain line 58 by its own force due to gravity to reach a water level slightly above the top of the piston 40. This Water level in the hydrant 10 is designed so that it is located substantially below the frost line 26.

From the foregoing detailed description of the present invention, it should be understood that the specific apparatus herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative only, as there are many changes which may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the invention. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A frost proof hydrant comprising a hydrant main body having an inlet near the bottom thereof and an outlet near the top thereof, said main body being generally cylindrically disposed and having a weighted piston slidably and sealingly mounted therein and being displaceable from near the bottom by the pressure of water applied to the inlet for directing the weighted piston along the main body until Water may freely discharge from the outlet, a three-way valve having one passage thereof coupled to said inlet, a drain line extending from another passage of said three-way valve to a point above the earths surface, a third passage of said three-Way valve being adapted to connect a water supply thereto, said three-way valve having means extending upwardly to the earths surface to control the passage of water from said supply to said inlet in one position and alternately from said inlet to said drain line in a second position, said weighted piston being capable of driving the water in the main body through said inlet and out said drain line when the pressure of Water applied to the inlet is cut off by the valve being moved to said second position.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein an air vent is disposed near the top of the main body to allow for the escapement and entry of air as the weighted piston traverses along the length of the main body.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said Weighted piston has an annular recess for receiving an O-ring to seal the weighted piston to the inner walls of the main body.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein a check valve is coupled to the outlet for closing the outlet for protecting the outlet from back-flow of water into the main body.

5. The invention of claim 3 werein a drain bypass is disposed near the bottom of the main body for providing a flow of Water about the O-ring When the Weighted piston is positioned near the bottom of the main body to drain water from the drain line into the main body until the water level of the water in the drain line and the main body is below a given frost line.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 168,413 10/1875 Rapp 137-282 287,815 11/1883 Fletter 137-302 X 2,638,114 5/1953 Wetzel 137-281 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,159 1883 Germany.

WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

R. GERARD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FROST PROOF HYDRANT COMPRISING A HYDRANT MAIN BODY HAVING AN INLET NEAR THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND AN OUTLET NEAR THE TOP THEREOF, SAID MAIN BODY BEING GENERALLY CYLINDRICALLY DISPOSED AND HAVING A WEIGHTED PISTON SLIDABLY AND SEALINGLY MOUNTED THEREIN AND BEING DISPLACEABLE FROM NEAR THE BOTTOM BY THE PRESSURE OF WATER APPLIED TO THE INLET FOR DIRECTING THE WEIGHTED PISTON ALONG THE MAIN BODY UNTIL WATER MAY FREELY DISCHARGE FROM THE OUTLET, A THREE-WAY VALVE HAVING ONE PASSAGE THEREOF COUPLED TO SAID INLET, A DRAIN LINE EXTENDING FROM ANOTHER PASSAGE OF SAID THREE-WAY VALVE TO A POINT ABOVE THE EARTH''S SURFACE, A THIRD PASSAGE OF SAID THREE-WAY VALVE BEING ADAPTED TO CONNECT A WATER SUPPLY THERETO, SAID THREE-WAY VALVE HAVING MEANS EXTENDING UPWARDLY TO THE EARTH''S SURFACE TO CONTROL THE PASSAGE OF WATER FROM SAID SUPPLY TO SAID INLET IN ONE POSITION AND ALTERNATELY FROM SAID INLET TO SAID DRAIN LINE A IN A SECOND POSITION, SAID WEIGHTED PISTON BEING CAPABLE OF DRIVING THE WATER IN THE MAIN BODY THROUGH SAID INLET AND OUT SAID DRAIN LINE WHEN THE PRESSURE OF WATER APPLIED TO THE INLET IS CUT OFF BY THE VALVE BEING MOVED TO SAID SECOND POSITION. 